November Wind
by Gemini14
Summary: When a desperately ill Vincent arrives at the Seventh Heaven, will Tifa be able to help him recover?
1. Part One

November Wind

Part One

It had been quite some time since anyone had heard from Cloud. After the defeat of Kadaj and his brothers, he had seemingly disappeared off the face of the planet. Tifa sighed as she gazed out at the rain-soaked streets; everything seemed so pointless, now. It was a battle to even wake up in the mornings, much less face the rest of the long, lonely days.

"_Cloud, where have you gone?_" Tifa wondered, looking up when some movement caught her eye. To her amazement, Vincent was approaching the door; but something seemed odd.

"_Is it just me, or is he limping?_" Tifa silently questioned, as she left her place behind the bar and walked over to the door, opening it when the ex-Turk was close enough.

"Vincent? Are you all right?" Tifa asked, alarmed when the sound of raspy wheezing reached her ears. With painful slowness, the warrior raised his head to look at her; wine red eyes glazed with illness.

"T-Tifa..." Vincent managed, before what was left of his strength gave out, and he fell forward.

"Hey! Hang on! Vincent, hang in there!" Tifa yelped, gasping when she caught him and, as best as she possibly could, kept him from falling onto the soaked sidewalk. Her stomach lurched within her when the sticky, fluid warmth of blood was smeared on her shirt, and when Vincent coughed raggedly; bringing up more from lungs she could only guess were also bleeding.

"_I've got to get him inside and out of this rain._" Tifa thought, as she dragged the dying man into the bar. Somehow, she didn't know quite how, she got him upstairs and laid him on one of the extra beds. When she was able to get a good look at him, she knew she had her work cut out for her; deep gashes adorned his chest and abdomen, and several showed signs of infection.

"_What could have done this? How could he have been so badly injured?_" Tifa wondered, as she rushed around, gathering what she knew she was going to need in order to help him.

When awareness returned to his fever-wracked brain, Vincent was more than just a little confused. He was indoors, and felt what seemed to be a bed beneath him. A dull pain ached in his chest when he tried to breathe, and he could taste blood in his mouth.

"Are you awake, Vincent?" Tifa asked, quietly, as she removed what felt like a cold compress from his brow, dipped it into a basin that had been placed on the bedside table, rung it out, and replaced it.

"Barely..." Vincent managed, wincing when the effort of talking caused pain to lance across his chest.

"Then just go ahead and rest." Tifa murmured, not even bothering to hide her concern for the man that now lay on the bed. Vincent nodded, and relaxed; closing his eyes briefly in order to focus on breathing. Every breath, he noticed, was unusually painful. It almost felt as though he were breathing in fire...A fire that seared his damaged lungs and brought blood to the back of his throat.

"_Mustn't_..._mustn't alarm Tifa_..._C-can't let her know_..._that I can't breathe_..." Vincent foggily thought, as he struggled to keep from choking up the gore from his lungs...an effort that, all too quickly, proved futile. Seconds later, he found himself sitting up and coughing violently; gripping his chest with his right arm while trying desperately to get oxygen into his now dangerously ill body.

"Vincent!" Tifa yelped, her voice freezing in her throat when she saw just what Vincent was coughing up, and how painful the gasps sounded.

"_Oh planet, this is bad! Must get my Materia! Hold on, Vincent!_" Tifa thought, as she made a mad dash to her room, dove under her bed, grabbed the box that held her Materia, and rushed back to Vincent's side. Panic surged through her when she saw how pale Vincent had gotten in just those few moments; a bluish tinge already settling on his features from the lack of oxygen.

"_Cure!_" Tifa's mind shouted, as she set the glittering, crystallized energy into her arm, then pumped the healing power into Vincent's chest, hoping against hope that it would work.

"_Please, planet_..._Please let it work. Don't let him die like this!_" Tifa desperately thought, as the restorative power flowed into the sick man's chest. To her relief, after a few moments, Vincent's breathing started to ease; the strain also disappearing from his handsome face as oxygen started to reach his bloodstream. She caught him when he collapsed into her, burying his face in her shoulder as he shuddered slightly from illness and exhertion. Without saying a word, she started rubbing his back in an effort to chase the pain away, settling his head on her chest, so he could hear her heartbeat.

"T-Tifa...?" Vincent whispered, after a few moments; his voice sounding rougher than usual.

"Shh. Just rest." Tifa murmured, blushing slightly when she realized just how compromising their current position looked.

"_If Cid or Barret ever saw this, they'd never let me live it down._" Tifa mused, not realizing that the same thought may have been passing through Vincent's mind as well at the same time.

"Thank you..." Vincent replied, softly, drifting into exhausted slumber not too long afterwards. For a few moments, Tifa continued to sit there, rubbing the slumbering man's back; then she gently laid him back down on the pile of pillows, replaced the cold compress on his fevered brow, and gently whispered something in his ear.

"Anytime, Vincent. I'll be here when you need me. Count on that."

Author's Note!

Yeah, I realize that there might be some OOC, but it really can't be helped (I don't know too much about Final Fantasy VII, since I have only seen Advent Children and read a brief overview of the game). I hope this was okay, otherwise!

Gemini14


	2. Part Two

Part Two

It was quite some time before Vincent found himself waking up again. He winced when he felt the ache return to his chest, but was a bit surprised when he found that it wasn't as bad as it had been before.

"_How long have I been out?_" he wondered, groggily, as he slowly opened his eyes. At first, his vision was blurred; his eyes taking their own sweet time focusing...But he could tell, without even having to see clearly, that he was in the upper level of the Seventh Heaven.

"You've been out for almost four days, Vincent." Tifa's voice stated, from beside him. A bit startled by her voice, Vincent turned his head to look at her; clinching his eyes shut again when dizziness threatened to knock him out again. She was at his side in a heartbeat; her red-brown eyes clearly showing concern for him.

"Take it slow. I don't know what I would do if you get as bad off as you were when you got here." Tifa said, as she gently applied a very minute amount of pressure to his chest with one hand, and felt his forehead for fever with the other. She got a quiet nod from the man on the bed in response to that; he knew exactly what she'd meant.

"How did that happen?" Tifa questioned, motioning to his injured chest and abdomen with a slight wave of her hand.

"Ran out of bullets." Vincent replied, his quiet voice even softer because of the pain he was in. Tifa nodded in understanding. She knew for a fact that Vincent wasn't a reckless man by nature, and that something had to have surprised him in order for it to have wounded him so badly.

"If you were in that much trouble, then you should have called for help. Someone would have come." Tifa said, feeling at least some disapproval at his usually solitary way of handling things.

"Would have...if the batteries in my phone...hadn't died on me." Vincent murmured, as he gave her his equivalent of a deadpan look. A look that was answered by one of skepticism from Tifa. But with a shrug she let it go at that, then gave him a look of genuine worry.

"Are your lungs feeling any better?" Tifa asked. It took Vincent a moment to realize what she was talking about., then he remembered what had happened earlier and actually shuddered a bit.

"There's still some pain...but it doesn't seem as bad." Vincent replied, whispering as the ache reminded him that it was still there.

"Good. You don't realize how much that had actually scared me earlier. I even thought you were going to die on me." Tifa said, unashamed to admit that she had been afraid. Without saying anything (since he didn't know quite what to say in answer to that admittance) he gently reached out and grasped her left hand in his right. For a long moment, they remained like that, neither saying a word, then Vincent himself broke the silence.

"I am sorry...for worrying you, Tifa." Vincent murmured, keeping his voice lower than normal; trying to keep the burning in his lungs to a minimum.

"It's okay." Tifa reassured, then added, "Just let me know if you start feeling any worse. All right?" Vincent only nodded quietly, releasing Tifa's hand as he did so and placing his own hand carefully on his injured chest. After a while, the exhaustion brought on by his illness lulled Vincent back into slumber; dulled crimson eyes slipping out of sight behind pale eyelids.

"_I'll have to see if Yuffie still has some of her Cure Materia_..._Mine have been almost completely used up. His lungs are still bleeding._" Tifa mused, worriedly, as she hovered over the slumbering man for a few moments, then rushed from the room when the phone abruptly started ringing.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv (new divider)

_He found himself in the lap of a woman when awareness returned to him. All around him, he could smell the scent of flowers; this fact only adding to his confusion._

"_Lucrecia?" Vincent murmured, surprised when the nagging pain that had been in his chest didn't emerge again._

"_Nope. Wrong answer." a soft, girlish voice replied, almost prompting Vincent to open his eyes._

"_Oh, it's you." Vincent stated, then added, "So I've died after all." _

"_Wrong again. You are unconscious, yes, but not dead. I merely came to talk." _

"_What would you want to talk about? And with me, no less?" Vincent asked, bewildered as to why the last of the Cetra wanted to speak to __him_

"_You have been ill recently, haven't you?" she in turn asked, ignoring Vincent's question gracefully. Vincent winced._

"_Yes. I allowed a minor chest wound to go untended, and infection set in. My lungs are still giving me problems." Vincent replied_, _finally opening his eyes and looking up at the girl's face. Not surprisingly, Aerith gave him a look of concern mixed with very minute disapproval._

"_You really need to learn to take care of yourself. If you don't, the people who care for you will be deeply hurt." Aerith warned, getting an arched eyebrow from Vincent in response to that._

"_The pot calling the kettle black." Vincent muttered, smirking slightly when Aerith sighed and shook her head._

"_You are about as impossible to talk to as Cloud! But, I must say this, it is good to see you trying to live_..._even if you don't know how to be careful." Aerith murmured, as she brushed delicate fingers against his brow; brushing strands of hair out of his eyes._

"_If you say so." Vincent said, ruefully agreeing with the flower girl on that point, at least. As the dream started to fade out, Vincent heard Aerith say one last thing to him before she left._

"_Please take care of Tifa, and yourself. You both need one another more than you realize."_

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

When he found himself waking again, Vincent felt as though the Masamune was being driven through his chest. He uttered a choking gasp before the blood in his lungs rushed to fill the space left by the air. Through the roaring in his ears, he could very faintly hear Tifa as she shouted his name. With great effort, he forced himself to sit up, blood spilling from the corners of his mouth as he did so. Violent coughing shook him as he tried to clear his chest of gore; each one feeling like a sword or dagger being twisted in his flesh. Vaguely, he felt it when Tifa started using her Cure Materia again; uttering a very light sigh as the healing power flowed into him.

"_How am I_..._supposed to protect Tifa_..._when this illness_..._saps so much of my strength?_" Vincent wondered, before darkness claimed him, once again.

_To be continued_...

_**Author's Note!**_

_**Yeah, I know. Very sadistic of me, to leave it in a cliffhanger like that. But I need some help. This story is going to 'stall out' without some fresh ideas! Any feedback on where this fic could go is welcome! Thanks!**_

_**Gemini14**_


	3. Part Three

Part Three

Rain pattered on the roof overhead as Tifa sat beside Vincent's bed. With worried eyes, she took in the sick man's appearance; he was pale and weak, a mere shadow of the formidable warrior he had been not too long ago. His rough, uneven breathing, a result of the infection in his chest, caused even further concern.

"_Vincent, you've got to hang on_..._I don't want to lose you._" Tifa thought, as she grimly held his limp right hand in hers', silently willing him to live. There was no visible response to her silent pleas, and she felt indecision when she heard someone enter the bar below.

"_As it is, he's too sick to be left alone. I'll just go down and lock up._" Tifa thought, as she hesitantly left Vincent's side, and made her way downstairs. One could only imagine her surprise when a childish voice shouted her name, and two arms wrapped themselves around her waist.

"Hello Tifa! Did you miss me?" Marlene asked, overjoyed to see the female barkeep of Seventh Heaven.

"I certainly did. What brings you here?" Tifa asked, as she tried to smile for the younger girl.

"I just wanted to see you, that's all!" Marlene chirped, then noticed that her friend looked and acted tired.

"What's wrong, Tifa? You aren't sick, are you?" Marlene questioned. Tifa's expression fell.

"Marlene, I have something I need to tell you...It's about Vincent." Tifa murmured, gently, noticing when the girl's eyes widened.

"Is something wrong?" Marlene again asked, as some fear began to emerge on her features. Tifa nodded.

"He's sick, Marlene. Very, very sick. He's been here for almost a week now." Tifa said, gently trying to break the news to the warm-hearted girl before her.

"How could Vincent be sick? What's wrong with him?" Marlene questioned, as worry for the former Turk emerged as well.

"He has a bad lung infection. I've been using my Cure Materia to combat it, but I don't think it's enough." Tifa admitted, hating herself for having to tell the girl something so grim.

"C-can I...see him? I want to see him." Marlene murmured, as she looked up at Tifa with pleading eyes. Against her better judgement, Tifa took her by the hand and led her upstairs to where Vincent lay. To her relief, Tifa could see that Vincent had not coughed up any more blood; but he still looked far too pale for her liking.

"_Thank the planet for small mercies, I suppose._" Tifa mused, watching as the little girl approached Vincent's bedside and stared in horror at him.

"Marlene, your father and Cid and heading to Wutai in a few days, aren't they?" Tifa asked, an idea suddenly beginning to form in her mind. Marlene nodded.

"They'd said they were gonna make a supply run there." Marlene said, repeating what she'd heard from the adults earlier.

"Then I want you to do me a favor. Tell Cid that he needs to get in touch with Yuffie as soon as he can. She'll need to bring as many Cure and Heal Materias as she can carry. Vincent's life may depend on it." Tifa said, seriously.

"I'll do what I can! I'm not gonna let Vincent die!" Marlene declared, quietly, with the determination that she had learned from her recent ordeal. Tifa inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Go ahead and find Cid and Barret, then. And tell them to please hurry!" Tifa ordered, as the child nodded vigorously and hurried out; intent on the task at hand. When the young girl had gone, Tifa returned her attention to the unconscious man and gave him a soft smile.

"_And to think, at one time, you'd thought that no one would care what happened to you_..._I know for a fact that Marlene would be devastated if you died, and, as for the rest of us, our lives would be a lot emptier._" Tifa mused, as she sat down again by his side and gently brushed a hand against his face; feeling dismay when she found that the fever had not come down in the slightest.

"Please live. Don't give up." Tifa heard herself say, as she settled in for yet another sleepless night at the wounded warrior's bedside.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

For the first time in so long, Vincent found himself alone inside of his own mind. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but thick gray mist; but he was grateful for even that.

"_At least it means I won't have to contend with my inner demons for a little while, anyway._" Vincent mused, knowing that the three powerful monsters (especially Chaos) could return at any time.

"_Better enjoy this while I can._" Vincent thought, as he allowed his mind to rest. It was then that he thought he could faintly hear Marlene's voice, and briefly wondered what she was doing there. Then the child's voice faded away, and he heard Tifa sit back down; quietly murmuring something about not giving up and living.

"_I don't want to give up, Tifa_..._Believe me, I don't_..." Vincent mentally replied, as he started to sink even further away from consciousness. Yet, before he could get too deep, he felt some warmth wrap around him and lift him up slightly; preventing him from disappearing into oblivion.

"_Is Tifa doing this? Or is it Aerith? I can't tell from here_..." Vincent mused, as the warm presence closed itself around him; cushioning him from the pain.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Tifa just about jumped out of her skin when Cid charged into the room not even two hours after Marlene had left.

"Oh shit...he looks even worse than what the kid had described...Poor bastard looks like death warmed over." Cid muttered, when he saw what kind of condition Vincent was in.

"Think you can make the trip to Wutai a few days early, Cid?" Tifa asked, knowing that the normally loud man was subdued by how terrible Vincent looked.

"Yeah...Have you been able to raise Yuffie on the phone yet?" Cid questioned. Tifa shook her head.

"The storms have been so bad, that they have been disrupting the signals." Tifa replied, grimly.

"Damn...Then we'd better hurry." Cid muttered, as he turned to hurry out.

"Be careful, Cid. We don't know how much the **_Highwind_** can take; especially in weather like this." Tifa warned. Surprisingly enough, all she got from Cid as a response was a grim nod, before he rushed from the Seventh Heaven and into the stormy night.

"_Come back safely, Cid. Vincent's life depends on you, now._" Tifa thought, as she gazed at her dwindling supply of Heal and Cure Materia, and knew that the trip to the distant town took at least three or four days...And Vincent would not last that long.


	4. Part Four

Part Four

Thunder rumbled overhead as Yuffie went about her daily routine. She growled slightly and glared at the overcast sky; for two days she'd been trying to reach Tifa by phone, but the weather had prevented any signals from getting through.

"_Damn storm. I wish the stupid thing would just blow over already!_" Yuffie sulkily thought, as large raindrops began to fall again, prompting her to return indoors. Once inside, however, worry immediately replaced her irritation at the lingering inclement weather.

"_I have the feeling that something is wrong_..._and I can't shake it! I wish I could get through to Tifa and put my own mind at ease!_" Yuffie mused, as she returned to her room, took out her box of Materia, and gazed at the crystallized energy with concern in her eyes.

"_Please be all right, Tifa!_" Yuffie silently pleaded, as she gazed in the direction of Midgar with uncharacteristic silence and foreboding settling within her.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Midnight had come and gone by the time Tifa finished changing the bandages on Vincent's chest. It had already been two days since the hurried departure of Barret and Cid for Wutai, and yet, the ex-Turk was still managing to hang on.

"_He hasn't gotten any better_..._But, thankfully enough, he hasn't gotten any worse._" Tifa mused, as she replaced the compress that was on Vincent's brow with a colder one.

"_And yet_..._he could still die from this. Whatever this illness is, we could still lose him to it._" Tifa mentally added, remembering that Vincent's lungs were still bleeding, as well. Every so often, it would remind her that it was still there; thin trickles of blood would slide from the corners of his mouth, and a gurgling cough would come not too long after. Without even realizing it, Tifa found, on a number of those occasions, tears forming in her eyes. She hated seeing the normally strong, aloof gunman like this; and this time, she didn't stop the tears from sliding down her cheeks.

"_Am I not strong enough to save him? Or does he even want to be saved?_" Tifa tearfully wondered, as she gripped his golden-clawed left hand in hers', not caring that the metal was digging into her palms. So deep was she sinking into her depression, that she didn't notice when the left hand twitched slightly...and when the other hand reached up and shakily brushed the tears from her face. Startled, Tifa jumped slightly and looked down; finding, to her utter disbelief, that Vincent appeared to be conscious. His eyes were dull with pain, but he appeared aware of her presence, and vaguely concerned about her.

"Vincent?" Tifa asked, too stunned to really say or think much else as the gunman slowly took his left hand from hers'; careful not to hurt her while doing so.

"Why...were you crying...?" Vincent quietly asked, wincing when the effort of talking sent burning pain through him.

"There's nothing more I can do for you, Vincent...I'm not strong enough to heal you. You continue to suffer from this, when you could have been...!" Tifa trailed off when Vincent reached up and again put a hand to her face.

"Don't...blame yourself...or your supposed...lack of strength. Blaming yourself...will get you nowhere...I should know. I spent thirty years...punishing myself in a coffin..." Vincent said, sternly; braving the intense pain in his lungs to say that much.

"But Vincent, I..." Tifa murmured, once again surprised when the former Turk interrupted her.

"Don't make me...repeat myself. You're not the one...causing this...Nor are you to blame...for not being able to heal me...Remember that." Vincent quietly said, before stifling a cough with his left hand, then relaxing back onto the bed.

"I'll try. But it's hard to see you like this." Tifa admitted, as she gazed worriedly at his far-too-pale features. Vincent only nodded, and gave her a ghost of what seemed to be a sad smile.

"I know...But it's good to know...that there is at least...one person who can still cry...for a monster like me." Vincent murmured, as he gave himself over to fevered sleep, once again. For a long while afterwards, Tifa continued to sit by his side; her thoughts arguing against the 'monster' comment.

"_You are not a monster, Vincent Valentine. Not to anyone else, and especially not to me_..._And I'll remain by your side to prove it._" Tifa silently declared, as she stubbornly picked up his left hand again, and held it; her determination rekindled.

Author's Note!

I know, very short chapter. But I am in desperate need of some new ideas! This fic is going to stall out if I don't get some soon! Any ideas are welcome! Arigato!

Gemini14


	5. Part Five

Part Five

Yuffie yawned as she stumbled to the front door of her home; having just been awakened from sound sleep by a loud pounding at the door.

"All right, all right! I'm coming! Sheesh! If you knock the door down, I'm gonna make you get a new one!" Yuffie irritably shouted, as she unlocked the door and opened it. To her surprise, there stood a throughly soaked (and need I add, very ticked off) Cid Highwind, with an equally wet cigarette hanging limply from his mouth.

"Took ya long enough." Cid muttered.

"What're you doin' here? I thought you weren't supposed to come for another couple of days, yet." Yuffie stated, as she let the _Highwind_'s captain in. She noticed when an abnormally grave expression appeared on Cid's gruff face, and felt dread settle like a stone in her gut.

"That poor bastard Vince is sick. He's caught somethin' nasty and it's takin' all Tifa's got to keep 'im going...She's runnin' out of Cure and Heal Materia, and Vince is runnin' out of time." Cid murmured, watching as Yuffie's face went pale at the grim news.

"_I was right!_" Yuffie's mind shouted, as she remembered the feelings of foreboding that she'd felt just a couple of days before.

"Let me grab my Materia and some clothes, then we can get going." Yuffie said, as she then rushed upstairs to get dressed, and grabbed the desperately needed Materia; hoping that they wouldn't be too late to save another friend from death.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

He'd arrived in Midgar in the midst of the pouring rain alongside a young man on a Fenrir. Nanaki irritably gave Cloud a glare as they approached the door to the Seventh Heaven.

"I don't think Tifa will take very kindly to your presence, Cloud, considering how you'd left everyone in the lurch by not letting them know where you were going." Nanaki muttered, as he tried in vain to shake some of the water from his drenched fur.

"I know, Red. And I apologize for it. But Aerith was very insistent. For some reason, she had me leave in the middle of the night, travel all that distance, and get that plant. I still don't know what it's for." Cloud muttered, as confusion entered his Mako-green eyes.

"Well, all we can do now is see if we can get out of this planet forsaken rain!" Nanaki stated. Cloud sighed and nodded, then knocked on the door. It took several moments for Tifa to come downstairs and answer the door, yet, when they saw how weary Tifa looked when she opened it, Cloud instantly wished that he hadn't disturbed her.

"Cloud? What're you...? When did you...?" Tifa asked, stunned almost into silence when she beheld who now stood there.

"I'm sorry for disappearing like that, Tifa." Cloud stated, honestly.

"It...it's okay...But what brought you back here on such a bad night?" Tifa asked, as she allowed them to enter, and stood back as Nanaki shook the water from his fur.

"It's a long story...Actually, I don't quite know how to really explain it..." Cloud murmured, then gave Tifa a look of genuine concern when he saw tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Tifa?" Cloud asked, surprised when she hugged him.

"I'm glad you're here, even if you didn't return for me. I need all the help I can get, now. Vincent's illness has sapped all of the energy from my Cure and Heal Materia, and he's not getting any better." Tifa said, as she gazed urgently up at the blond-haired young hero.

"What happened?" Cloud asked, following Tifa as she led the way upstairs.

"He'd told me earlier that he'd allowed a chest wound to get infected, and now the infection has spread to his lungs." Tifa replied, her voice lowering to a whisper as they reached the room where Vincent lay, and she opened the door. Cloud could barely believe his eyes when he beheld how bad Vincent looked; his skin was deathly pale, and sweat clung to skin he could tell even from a distance was burning with a fever's heat. His breathing was weak and uneven, coming out from between his lips in a raspy wheeze.

"I never thought anything like this could happen to Vincent. He looks awful." Cloud whispered, watching as Tifa returned to the ailing man's side and sat down.

"This may be the reason why you had to go and retrieve that plant, Cloud." Nanaki said, as realization crossed the young man's face.

"Of course! That would explain things." Cloud replied, careful to keep his voice low as he spoke.

"What do you mean?" Tifa questioned, sensing that she was about to be told why Cloud had left so unexpectedly.

"The reason why I left in such a hurry without telling anyone was because Aerith told me to go out and find a certain plant. She'd said that it should be able to cure illnesses. When I asked her why it was needed, she told me that someone close to me would need it very soon. It's just that...I had no idea she'd meant Vincent." Cloud explained, as best as he could.

"Even after all that has happened, she's still looking after us." Tifa murmured, as she gently brushed a hand against the ill man's brow; not noticing when Cloud gave Vincent an almost envious look.

"I'm going to get this to an herbalist and see if I can't get some medicine made for him. Tell him to hang tough for me, okay?" Cloud asked.

"Will do. It's good to finally have you back, Cloud." Tifa said, honestly.

"It's good to be back, Tifa." Cloud replied, before he rushed back out into the rain-soaked night.

"_And thank you, Aerith, for bringing him back here in time._" Tifa mused, as she resumed her vigil over the sick man; comforted by the fact that her childhood friend had finally returned home, and the man she was starting to care so much for now had a fighting chance.

_**Author's Note!**_

_**I hope this chapter wasn't too boring or confusing! I think I may have gotten past my writer's block, but I'm not quite sure yet. Again, any suggestions are welcome! Thanks!**_

_**Gemini14**_


	6. Part Six

Part Six

His life was pain, pure and simple. Every breath was torture; like a fiery brand was being driven deep into his chest. And yet, even through the worst of it, he felt the gentle, feather-soft touches on his brow, and the strangely soothing presence of Tifa sitting by his bedside. Despite himself, he found her presence comforting; easing the burning pain and somehow making it a little more bearable.

"_Planet, I haven't felt this bad since I jumped from the __Highwind__ last year._" Vincent thought, breaths coming in short, painful gasps as he tried not to gag when he tasted more blood at the back of his throat.

"Vincent?" Tifa's voice asked, echoing strangely inside of Vincent's skull. Slowly, Vincent opened his eyes, grimacing slightly when even the dim light in the room hurt them.

"Sorry, let me dim the light a bit more." Tifa said, as she did just that, much to Vincent's relief.

"W-what...?" Vincent rasped, wincing slightly as he spoke.

"Rest easy, friend. Save your strength for fighting this illness." the soft, rumbling voice of Nanaki murmured, from his left hand side, close to where Tifa was sitting.

"When did you...get here?" Vincent whispered, voicing the surprise he'd evidently felt upon seeing the red feline there.

"A few hours ago." Nanaki replied.

"I see..." Vincent stated, then looked up at Tifa. The young woman looked completely worn out; the result of staying up with him the entire time during his stay there. Yet, before he could even start feeling guilty, Tifa interrupted the forming thoughts.

"I know what you're thinking, Vincent, and no, it isn't your fault. It has been my choice to watch over you." Tifa rebuked, with mock severity; smiling gently at the ill man when he allowed an abashed look to appear on his handsome face. Then he sighed and tried to relax, placing his right hand to his brow when the dull throb of a headache prompted him to do so. They all looked up when Cloud entered the room with what appeared to be a flask in hand.

"I've got the medicine, Tifa, but there's going to be a bit of a problem using it." Cloud said, nodding respectfully to Vincent to acknowledge his presence, then getting back to the subject at hand.

"What's wrong?" Tifa asked, as worry appeared in her wine-colored eyes once again.

"It'll only work with Heal and Cure Materia. And you'd told us earlier that you had used up all of your Materia already." Cloud murmured, noticing when Tifa gave him an anxious look.

"You don't have any, either?" Tifa questioned. Cloud shook his head.

"I don't. I used up mine when I was helping a town get out from under a rockslide." Cloud responded, grimly.

"It seems...all we can do now...is wait...for Cid to return..." Vincent struggled to say, coughing a little bit when the strain became too much.

"That's about all we can do. I just hope the weather doesn't hamper his progress too much." Cloud muttered, as he turned his gaze to the window; trying desperately to ignore the sight of Tifa gently, almost lovingly, wiping the sweat and blood off of the ex-Turk's face with a damp cloth.

"Do you think you can get in touch with them, Cloud?" Tifa asked.

"I can try, but I'll have to use your phone, since I lost mine not too long ago." Cloud replied; trying to hide the bitterness in his voice as he placed the flask on the table closest to Tifa, the made to exit the room again.

"Go ahead. Maybe they're close enough now to receive the signal." Tifa urged, as hope began to return to her.

"Okay." Cloud murmured, then added, "Wish me luck." This got a nod from Tifa and Nanaki.

"All right. Good luck." they replied, before the blond-haired hero descended the stairs, quietly closing the door behind him as he went. Nanaki wasn't long in following. When he was certain that both Cloud and Nanaki were out of earshot, Vincent returned his attention to Tifa.

"Are you sure...you want...to stay up...with me again?" Vincent asked. Tifa gave him a look that was tinged with stubbornness.

"Yes. Like I'd said, it's my choice. So rest easy, I'm not going anywhere." Tifa said, surprised when Vincent gave her a soft smile in answer to that.

"Thank you...Tifa." Vincent whispered, as he gingerly grasped her hand in his. He got a smile in return, and a kiss on the brow (much to his astonishment).

"You're welcome. Now, get some sleep. Your fever is still very high." Tifa murmured, as she used her free hand to carefully brush the stray strands of hair off of Vincent's pallid features; feeling somewhat surprised when she saw that her touch alone was lulling Vincent back to sleep again.

"_Sleep well, Vincent._" Tifa thought, warmly; burying the nagging worry in the back of her mind that she could still lose this brave, much maligned gunman that she was suddenly finding herself caring very much for.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

"Fuck! I hate storms like this!" Cid shouted, furiously, as he fought to maintain control of the _Highwind_. Yuffie sighed and shook her head; at this point in time, she was far too worried to be airsick. Vincent's life was hanging in the balance!

"Cid, how far from Midgar are we now? Are we almost there yet?" Marlene asked, her own worry about Vincent (moreso than the turbulence of the airship) preventing her from sleeping.

"We're closer now than when ya last asked, squirt." Cid replied, as patiently as he could; understanding that they all were worried about the normally strong gunman.

"How're you holdin' up, Yuf?" Barret asked, gruffly.

"I'm okay. Guess I'm too scared about Vincent's illness to be sick myself right now...Though I'm sure I'll be pukin' my guts out later to make up for not being sick now." Yuffie replied, as she tried to give the men and little girl a smile and thumbs up to let them know that she was okay. They all jumped when Cid's cell phone suddenly started ringing.

"Shit! This had better be good!" Cid grumbled, as he made a grab for his phone, pressed the power button, and answered it.

"Hello?" Cid asked.

"Cid!" a young man's voice shouted, the relief in it very evident.

"Cloud? Where the hell have you been, man? You dropped off the face of the planet, and then you decide to call during a thunderstorm? Shit!" Cid yowled, furiously.

"I'm sorry, Cid, but there was a reason for it." Cloud replied, sounding ashamed about his disappearance and the worry he'd caused his friends and the whole of Avalanche.

"Feh, I'm sure. Tell Tifa that we'll be there soon, and tell Vince to hang on. Yuffie's got her Cure and Heal Materia with her." Cid said, knowing that he had to be close enough to Midgar in order for the signal to have gotten through to his phone.

"Okay. I'll tell them. Safe landings, Cid." Cloud said, as Cid flipped the phone the bird.

"Don't jinx me, punk! Dammit!" Cid growled, as he listened to the young hero's quick apology to that, and then hung up.

"So Cloud's back now too, Cid?" Marlene questioned, as she turned her hopeful gaze up to the airship's captain. Cid smirked.

"Yeah. Spiky's back, kid." Cid replied, as he tousled the little girl's hair almost gently.

"_One less thing for __us__ to worry about, in the long run._"Cid mused, unaware that those wit him were thinking the exact same thing.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Cloud sighed as he hung up Tifa's phone. Even though he was relieved that help had practically arrived in time to save Vincent, he couldn't help but feel like he was about to lose someone important to him, all over again.

"_Even if she doesn't know it yet, I do. Tifa is in love_..._and it's not with me. I waited too long._" Cloud sadly mused, knowing deep down in his heart that Tifa would always see him as a dear friend, but the one she would have eyes for, would be the man who needed her the most: Vincent.

**_Author's Note!_**

_**Almost there! I hope this was worth the wait!**_

_**Gemini14**_

Also, there's a slight homage to LunarBlade Valentine's story 'Dark Outside', early on in this chapter. If you haven't already read it, then I highly recommend it! 


	7. Part Seven

Part Seven

They made landfall at around one or two in the morning. Cid, Barret, Yuffie and little Marlene all arrived, sopping wet, at the door of the Seventh Heaven, where an anxious Tifa waited at Vincent's side. With Cid right behind her (Barret and Cloud had decided to remain downstairs with Marlene) Yuffie climbed the stairs to the living area above the bar; inwardly bracing herself for what she would find on the other side of the door. What she saw made her mouth immediately go dry; there lay an evidently very ill Vincent, with a weary Tifa sitting stubbornly at his side, gripping his metal left hand in both of hers' as though silently pleading with him to live.

"Oh planet...he looks awful..." Yuffie murmured, as she approached the bed and hesitantly put a hand to Vincent's forehead. She recoiled almost immediately when she felt his fever.

"I know. It's taken all my Materia could give just to keep him going...And it still wasn't enough. He's lost so much blood already...that any normal man would have been dead by now." Tifa said, her voice soft with concern and tiredness as she gave the two of them a careworn glance.

"Got that right." Cid muttered, shaking his head in honest pity when he noticed how much worse Vincent looked compared to before.

"Then let's not waste any more time! Let's cure and heal him now, while we still have the chance!" Yuffie urged, getting nods from both of her companions in answer to that.

"Vincent? Vincent, wake up." Tifa gently called, as she started trying to awaken the sick man from fevered slumber. At first, she got no response; then he uttered a soft moan, and slowly opened his eyes.

"T-they're...here?" Vincent asked, his voice barely a whisper. Tifa nodded, as she moved to help him sit up.

"Yes. Now you can take the medicine Cloud had gotten made for you." Tifa responded, feeling a pang of guilt as Vincent winced in response to having to move even the slightest bit. Then, when she was sure that he was as comfortable as she could possibly make him, she reached over, grabbed the flask that held the medicine, uncorked it, and poured its' contents into a cup that she'd brought up for that specific purpose. Vincent made a face as he caught a whiff of what the medicine smelled like, and gave the three in the room an understandably skeptical look. Then, knowing that he would get nowhere in an argument at this point, he went ahead and downed the glass; disgust deepening to outright horror when he tasted the concoction. Despite themselves, Tifa and Yuffie giggled at the look of outright disgust Vincent gave the empty glass, and as he suppressed a shudder at the residual taste.

"If medicine didn't smell or taste bad, Vincent, it wouldn't work." Tifa said, when Vincent had cast an accusatory look at them for their laughter at his expense.

" I know...But...still,...that...tasted...terrible..." Vincent managed, struggling to keep the medicine in his stomach long enough for them to start using the Materia. Without any further words on the subject, Yuffie handed Tifa one of her Heal Materia, keeping a Cure one for herself, and then they both, simultaneously, started using them on Vincent. Little by little, Vincent could feel the pain ebbing; almost as though a vice was being loosened from around his chest, and the hot iron barbs were being carefully removed.

"_It's working_..." Vincent thought, sighing with relief when he actually felt his lungs begin to stop bleeding, and begin healing. Breathing was beginning to get easier. Tifa watched as the strained look began to disappear from Vincent's pale features; relief spreading through her when she saw that their combined efforts were working.

"_At this rate, he'll be healed in no time_..._He won't suffer from this illness anymore_..._Thank the planet_..." Tifa thought, smiling softly when she saw the bandages fall away from Vincent's chest, and as the wounds they had covered up until that point disappeared almost completely.

"There. That should do it." Yuffie said, signaling Tifa to stop by saying that. With a nod, Tifa stopped as well, and returned to Vincent's side to help him lie down again.

"Thank you..." Vincent whispered, just barely loud enough for those in the room to hear.

"Don't mention it, Vince. Don't mention it." Cid muttered, secretly pleased that the last ditch effort had worked out. As Cid ushered Yuffie out of the room, they both noticed when Tifa once again took up her position at Vincent's side; determined to keep her promise to remain there no matter what.

"_If Vince doesn't realize what a lucky s.o.b. he is now, he never will._" Cid thought, as he, uncharacteristically, closed the door softly behind him; leaving the two in peace.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

"_Vincent." a woman's voice called, and as Vincent opened his eyes to find himself, once again, in the field of flowers._

"_I'd heard it was you who had told Cloud to go and get that plant. Is that true?" Vincent asked, with an accusatory tone in his voice. Aerith giggled._

"_Yes. I did." Aerith replied, her eyes sparkling with mirth when she saw Vincent's expression deadpan._

"_That__ 'medicine' was the most vile-tasting concoction I have ever had the misfortune to taste! What in the planet's name possessed you to tell Cloud about it?" Vincent asked, then added, "Was it the sadist in you that made him get it?" Aerith shook her head, her smile not fading in the slightest._

"_No, of course not." Aerith said, then sobered a little bit, "I told him about it since I knew, at that point, that that plant was the only thing that could cure your infection. Materia alone couldn't do it, no matter how many could have been gathered together."_

"_I see_..._I apologize for being so cross with you, just now. I know you meant well." Vincent murmured, a bit ashamed of himself for his outburst._

"_It's all right. Don't be so hard on yourself, Vincent. At least you were honest with me. I can remember that a lot of my mother's homemade medicines tasted horrible too, and __I__ had made more of a fuss than you had, just now." Aerith reassured, as she closed the distance between them, took his metal left hand in hers', and gently patted it. Vincent gave her an ironic look._

"_I can't imagine __you__ ever causing a fuss, Aerith." Vincent said, with a slight, teasing smile in his voice._

"_Oh, I did, believe me. My mother would probably tell you of quite a number of different occasions when I had, quite literally, made a brat of myself." Aerith admitted, with a small amount of embarrassment as she said so._

"_Mine as well." Vincent muttered, shuddering as he thought of that. Aerith laughed softly at his expense._

"_So, what are you going to do now?" Aerith asked, after a few moments of thoughtful silence._

"_I have no earthly idea. A lot of my reasons for living are gone, but there is one person that keeps me from moving on_..._But I have no idea what she feels for me." Vincent murmured, knowing that he could confide in the flower girl this matter of the heart. Aerith nodded in understanding, yet gave him a serious look, as well._

"_Just let her know how you feel, Vincent. That's about all I can tell you." Aerith advised, as best she could. Vincent slowly nodded, his reluctance to tell the person he cared for his feelings being mixed with the fear he felt for the rejection he might receive from her._

"_Have confidence and trust in yourself. It'll work itself out just fine. Believe me." Aerith said, as she and the field began to fade out._

"_I'll try." Vincent murmured, as the dream began to mist together, and as his mind once again returned to consciousness_...

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Vincent awoke to the warmth of sunshine on his skin. For a moment, when he opened his eyes, he was dazzled by the bright morning sun shining in through the curtained windows of his room; then they adjusted to the light, and revealed a surprise. There, half-laying on the bed next to him, was Tifa. She was sound asleep, with her head pillowed on her folded arms. Vincent smiled slightly at the sight; she had kept her promise, and hadn't left his side. As gently as he could, he brushed his right hand's fingertips across the soft skin of her face; reveling at the sensations that traveled up his arm in response to that.

"Tifa?" Vincent called, getting a sleepy 'Hmm?' from the slumbering woman in response before she slowly roused up, and looked sleepily at him.

"Morning Vincent." Tifa greeted, smiling when she saw that his eyes were completely clear; no sign of illness in them.

"Good morning. I take it you slept well?" Vincent asked, a little sarcastically, as she slowly sat back up; wincing as her back protested against the movement.

"Kinda." Tifa replied, also a little sarcastically, then asked, "Did you sleep all right?"

"Yes, actually...I still feel a little weak from the blood loss, but the pain is gone, thankfully enough." Vincent said, noticing when Tifa breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"I'm so glad to hear it. I was actually very afraid that you were going to die on me. I'm glad you held on." Tifa said, suppressing the desire she had to hug him at that moment.

"I am, as well...Though, for a while there, I felt like I was dying. The pain was so intense." Vincent admitted, quietly.

"This should teach you to get your wounds treated immediately next time before infection can set in. I don't think any of us really wants to see you get that sick again." Tifa admonished, getting an almost shamefaced look from the gunman in answer to her tone.

"Nor do I want to be that ill again. Once is certainly enough, thank you." Vincent agreed, wholeheartedly. It took a few moments of silence for them both to try and muster up what they really wanted to say to one another; and when they did, it almost came out in a rush.

"Tifa I..."

Vincent I need to..."

"I'm sorry, go ahead." Vincent stammered, after uncharacteristically stumbling over his words.

"No, you go ahead. You spoke first." Tifa said, equally as shy about what she wanted to say.

"Ladies first." Vincent insisted, smiling when Tifa blushed; signaling that he'd gotten his way.

"Um...Okay..." Tifa mumbled, then said, uncertainly, "Vincent...I...uh..." Vincent leaned forward slightly, eyebrows minutely raised.

"Yes?" Vincent asked.

"I...love you..." Tifa murmured, her heart hammering inside her chest as she said those words. At the same time, Vincent felt his insides turn to jelly. It was his turn to confess.

"I...feel the same...for you, Tifa...Even though I was a bit uncertain at first how I was going to tell you before all this happened." Vincent admitted, quietly. Tifa smiled, and reached for his hands, holding them firmly in her own when she had them.

"I know. It was difficult for me, too. I guess what helped make it easier was the thought of almost having lost you to that illness of yours'. I've lost enough loved ones in my life, Vincent. I don't want to lose any more." Tifa said, as tears for her father and her friends in Nibelheim flowed down her cheeks. She jumped slightly in surprise when Vincent reached up and softly brushed them away; his eyes also filled with his own memories of his hometown.

"I'm still here. And I don't think I'm leaving any time soon...Not unless you want me to. Do you?" Vincent questioned. Tifa shook her head; giving him a watery smile as she did so.

"I want you to stay...but I don't want to make you a prisoner." Tifa murmured.

"I'm not your prisoner, Tifa, just as you are not my captor. You may have captured a tattered heart that is in desperate need of repair, but that doesn't make me a prisoner." Vincent said, quietly, then silently added, "_In fact, I'm freer now than I ever have been._"

"Are you sure?" Tifa asked, not quite believing what she was hearing.

"Quite sure. Now, if the ones who have been eavesdropping on this obviously private conversation will please show themselves out the front door before I start shooting, then all will be well." Vincent threatened; smirking when the sounds of shuffling feet and grumbling came to their ears, and when Nanaki briefly appeared at the bedroom door, winked, and disappeared again, following the rest of the group outside. Tifa chuckled when she heard Cid's cursing from outside, and Yuffie's disappointed 'Aw man! Didn't even get to see 'em kiss!', then gave Vincent a warm smile. A smile that was surprisingly returned.

"_Things are going to be all right, after all._" Tifa thought, as she allowed Vincent to gently pull her into his arms, and wrap her the in warmth that she'd missed since the destruction of Nibelheim...the warmth of love. And, outside, a gentle November wind was blowing.

**_Owari_**

_**Author's Note!**_

_**Yeah, I know, very mushy ending, but it practically wrote itself! (The whole story did, actually). I hope this was a good story, all in all. Thanks for your kind comments, minna!**_

_**Gemini14**_


End file.
